An Old Saying
by hpswst101
Summary: "Maybe that old saying was true. "If you love something let it go and if it's yours it will come back to you." Love does manifest itself in many different ways." Rated T for safety. Implied past Linzen.


_Disclaimer: I do not own the universe "Legend of Korra" nor do I own Chief Lin Bei Fong._

Lin watched with the eyes of a hawk her new pupil go through the metalbending forms.

It was rare to see a woman join the police force, even more so with wanting to be an actual officer who could earthebend with such skill. Her name was Rin, a rare name for a rare person.

The Chief of Police saw a lot of herself in the eighteen year old, loyalty, discipline, but there was a bit of Lin's mother as well, an air of sass and willingness to do it _her_ way. All of this under serious, cool grey/blue/green eyes, an unusual color in itself.

Rin was about the same height as Lin, maybe a hair taller with a lithe and slim body. When she officially joined the metalbenders Lin was going to be hard pressed to keep her young, single men focused on their work and not trying to impress the newbie.

"All right! That's enough," Lin said curtly to her pupil. The novice metalbender put down the pipes she was manipulating and wiped her forehead.

"Chief are you positive that this bending is going to get easier?" The question was an honest one, breathing was heavy, like she had just finished running a marathon.

"Was earthbending difficult for you at first?"

Rin paused as she took a drink of water from her own skin. "Yes."

"Then it should not be that much of a surprise then?" Lin said in reply, a knowing eyebrow lifted.

The eighteen year old took a large sigh before smiling sheepishly. "Yeah I guess you're right." Capping the water skin Rin met Lin's eyes. "So how am I doing, Chief? Regretting your decision yet?"

Lin smirked at that but gave a soft, "No." Crossing her arms she took a few steps closer. "Actually you're picking this up faster than I have ever seen before." Rin blushed at the praise.

"Thank you, Chief. I know my mother would have been proud to have heard that."

"She died recently, correct?"

"Last year. May I sit down?" Lin gave her permission and a few seconds later, joined her pupil on the ground. "As an only child I felt obligated to stay home and help my dad out, he refused saying I belonged here."

"He must be proud as well." Lin said mildly, her interest slightly peaked.

"He is." Rin gave a fond smile. "He is."

"Rin?" Lin tested out the name. She had thought, wondered about the name for years. But not until very recently has she been caught actually _saying _the name. "Unusual name. Why did your parents choose it?"

"They didn't." Rin said in a quiet voice, her eyes moving down a bit. "I'm adopted. The name came with me and my parents let it stay like that."

"Really?" Lin couldn't help but blink her eyes a few times as she stared at the girl with newfound curiosity. "Your file did not mention that. When were you adopted?"

"A month old." A small shrug. "My parents said that I was a newborn when I entered the orphanage."

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Lin fought to keep her composure. "Do you ever think about your biological mother and father?" Lin asked, trying to sound disinterested.

"When I was little, yes. But now? Rarely. They gave me up. Clearly I was not wanted and that's okay, honestly, because I was taken in by two people who _did_ want me and _are_ proud of me and have helped formed_ me_ into the person I am today."

Lin nodded her head and soon called the lesson over. Once she let the door to the earthbending gym close shut behind Rin did Lin make any facial changes.

A strange sting was behind her eyes.

She would occasionally wonder if she had made the right choice. Giving her away instead of keeping her. Would wonder about if she could bend and what she would look and act like. Wondered how her own life would be if she had kept the child.

Lin never thought she would get an answer.

But she did, and she wasn't going to tell anybody; not even tell Tenzin.

Lin would always say that the metalbenders were like her children, her family was the whole of the police force. The Chief of Police never figured that it would actually happen though.

Maybe that old saying was true. "If you love something let it go and if it's yours it will come back to you." Love does manifest itself in many different ways.

Maybe Rin was meant to be hers after all.

_A/N: So this is my second story for the Korra fandom. I have many more written all I need to do is post it! :laughing: This story was inspired by a conversation my mom and I were having a week or so ago and I finally wrote it out yesterday night._

_I really am proud of this story. I think it's a nice show of familial relationships, especially with the concept of letting your love go and if it comes back, keeping it. While we usually refer to this in a romantic way, there are so many different loves and ways to love out there. And I hope this showcased quite a few of them._

_Might follow this one up with another one-shot. Don't really know. Maybe if you guys review and leave nice things maybe I just might do it. ;)_


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